Sukta Summer 2011

1

SaUKTaa Sūktā Summer 2011 Volume IV No 2

arsha vijnana gurukulam

Inside this IssueArticle by Pujya SwamijiArticle by Sadhviji

Gurukulam NewsŚivarātri, Washington, DC A Pilgrimage into the Wisdom and Conviviality of HinduismSummary of HastāmalīkyamSadhvijiʼs Introduction to Chapter 17 of Bhagavad Gīta, Eugene, OrŚivarātri, Eugene, OrOne year Anniversary of MūkāmbikāShrine, Eugene, OrDakṣiṇāmūrthiʼs Shrine, Eugene OrTalks on Freedom from Disenchantment Corvallis, OrTalks on Guru Pādukā Stotram Talks on Healing the Inner Child through Vedanta, Eugene, Or

ReflectionsPhotos of Installation of Gaṇeśa at Mūkāmbikā Shrine, Eugene, Or

Regular FeaturesSatsang with SadhvijiSadhvijiʼs Online Classes and Travel Schedule

The Form of Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrtiby Pujya Swamiji Dayananda

Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti is shown seated under a banyan tree, surrounded by his disciples. The Lord has four hands. In his lower right hand, he shows the cinmūdra and also holds a japa-mālā. In his upper right hand, the Lord is holding a ḍamaru (a small drum) and a pāśa, a noose. In his upper left hand, there is fire and in the lower left hand, a book. The sun and the moon adorn the crown of the Lord. We also see in his matted locks the maiden figure representing the Gaṇgā. In his right ear, the Lord wears a man’s earring, and in his left ear, a woman’s earring. He is adorned with necklaces and armlets, a belt, and bracelets. His left foot is resting on his right thigh (in the posture called Vīrāsana) and his right foot presses a dwarf-like figure called Apasmara.

The Lord supports this universe made of the five basic elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth. The drum symbolizes the element space, since it produces sound, and the flying matted locks held in place by a bandana, symbolize the air. The element fire is shown in one hand, the Ganga flowing from the Lord’s head stands for water. The entire form of the body of the Lord is made of the element earth. The sun represents all luminaries, and the moon, all planets. The ḍamaru, the small drum (which stands for the element space), also

2

symbolizes creation, whereas fire stands for destruction, including the destruction of ignorance. The various ornaments represent the glories of the Lord.The banyan tree under which Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti is sitting represents saṁsāra which has no beginning. However, saṁsāra has an end. Being mithyā, its reality is in Brahman, the root and therefore, Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti is shown as seated at the root of the tree. The cinmūdra is a symbol for the knowledge of the identity of the individual and the

Lord, which puts and end to saṁsāra. The book in the lower left hand is the Veda. The japa-mālā, is a symbol for all religious disciplines. The bull, on which the Lord rides, stands for dharma, justice, and also māyā, which the Lord wields. His name is Nandi (meaning joyful) or Nandikeśvara (the Lord of Joy). Lord Śiva here is Ardhanārīśvara, half male and half female, representing puruṣa and prakṛti, the cause of creation. This is symbolized in Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti by a male earring in the right ear and a female earring in the left. The figure held in check under the right foot of Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti is called Apasmara, representing all obstacles to our pursuits..

The form of Dakṣiṇāmūrti enshrined in the temple at Ārṣa Vidyā Gurukulam is called Medhā-Dakṣiṇāmūrti. Since Dakṣiṇāmūrti is the source of spiritual knowledge, seekers always invoke his grace for medhā, power to inquire and to learn; and for prajñā, clear knowledge of the self.

Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti Mūla-Mantra1

Oṁ namo bhagavate Dakṣiṇāmūrtaye mahyaṁ medhāṁ prajñāṁ prayacca sv´āh´ā

OṀ. Salutations to Bhagavān Dakṣiṇāmūrti. Please bless me with medhā, memory and prajñā, wisdom.

Namaḥ, my salutations. To whom? Bhagavān Dakṣiṇāmūrti. Bhaga includes the six-fold virtues in full measure: it is aiśvarya, overlordship; it is Śrī, wealth and health; it is vīrya, strength; it is yaśas, fame; it is jñāna, knowledge; it is vairāgya, freedom from a sense of want. All these virtues in full measure is bhaga; the one who has bhaga is Bhagavān. Bhaga, therefore, means all blessing. The word by which you invoke the Lord is the blessing that you also seek. Not only do you seek mokśa, self-knowledge, you also seek blessings to achieve whatever one needs to achieve in life. Once you say namo bhagavate, salutations unto the one who has bhaga, Bhagavān, you are covering everything; we need a little more of everything. Therefore, in relating to the Lord as Bhagavān, you are invoking the grace of bhaga.

Amūrti is the one who is formless and who is the truth of everything. With māyā-śakti, he is dakṣiṇa meaning samartha, the one who has capacity—he is the creator and sustainer, and also, the one who can take back the whole thing into himself. Therefore, Īśvara who is dakṣiṇa as well as amūrti is Dakṣiṇāmūrti.Dakṣiṇa has another meaning as well. Dakṣiṇa is dik, a quarter, the southerly direction. So, he is the one whose face is facing the southern direction, dakṣiṇa-dig-abhi-mukhā-mūrtiḥ yasya Dakṣiṇāmūrti. What is the significance of the southerly direction? The north attracts, and it stands for mokśa. The south stands for saṁsāra; it is Lord Yama’s place. The Lord is everywhere, but the one who wants to get released from saṁsāra faces the Lord in the north. The Lord has to face you to teach; as the source of all knowledge, he faces the south. Salutations unto that Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti, or Īśvara, as the source of all knowledge and as the source of all blessing.

3

Mahyam, to me. Prayaccha, please give, please bring in, and please bless me with. Asking is important. Always ask for what you want. Never be shy. People say, “Don’t go asking bhagavān. He knows everything.” But no, you have to ask for it. His grace is always available, but you have to tap it. This grace is like ground water that has to be tapped. There is no other way. It is a potential and you have to tap it by praying.To gain anything in terms of worldly or spiritual life, everything depends upon your making the right decisions. Life is a series of right decisions. For this you require two things, prajñā and medhā.

Prajñā does not only mean knowledge or clarity of knowledge. It includes clarity in the making of decisions. You are what you are because of your decisions. We need to have the clarity to make proper decisions in life. In understanding any topic, you require prajñā. It means alertness, clarity of vision. No matter what the topic is, whether it is a moral issue, a legal issue or an economic issue, to succeed, you require prajñā. So prajñā is spiritual knowledge along with clarity.

Medhā is thinking power and also memory. Memory is important. We always remember a person’s name only after he has left. When some learned people begin to talk, too many thoughts come to them or the right thing does not come at that time. The understanding must not only be there, it should be available at the time it is needed. That is grace. Your memory and wisdom should serve you at the right time. First we need the wisdom, and then, it should be available to us all the time. Medhā is not just memory. There are a lot of medicines that can increase your memory power, but medhā is the availability of the knowledge at the right time and the right place.If medhā and prajñā are there, all successes will come to you. That is why we pray, “Oh Lord please bless with me with medhā and prajñā.”

Sv´āha´ā, I offer this chanting, this prayer to you.

1 Excerpt from the book Prayer and Prayerfulness based on talks of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati translated and edited by Krishnakumar Davey and Jayshree Ramakrishnan.

Praise Song for Goddess MūkāmbikāThis praise song is for Goddess Mūkāmbikā. The Hindu tradition believes in a single formless being as the creator of the universe. The creator is not separate from creation. In fact, the creator is the creation, is manifest as the creation in the form of the elements, the forces of nature, the immutable laws, and as the witness, the all-

pervasive sentience that is present in the body-mind-sense complex . Therefore, in the Hindu

cosmology, everything is sacred, and non-separate from the whole. One can invoke “God” in any form or function, or in any gender. Mother Goddess worship in India is extremely popular, and has a long and rich history.

The word “Āmbikā” means mother, and “Mūka” means mute. “ Mūkāmbikā” therefore means, “the Goddess who

renders harmful desires mute.” This explanation is derived from an ancient

legend where a demon by the name Kamhasura prayed for the boon of

immortality. However, when the time came to ask for this boon, the Goddess sat on Kamhasura’s tongue, rendering his desire speechless. In preventing the demon from voicing his desire, the Goddess saved all beings from being infinitely subjected to his terror.

The Hindu philosophy does not have the concept of a devil as a parallel reality to God. The demons, which appear in the stories of the Purānas (mythological texts), are allegorical representations of the shadow side of individuals. Demons are often portrayed as beings with strong desires for domination and immortality. In fact, in most cases, demons are just devotees gone astray. The desire for immortality is a universal desire. Even a mosquito has got the desire

4

to live. It therefore is programmed to save itself, to adapt, and to bite humans in areas hard to reach, so that it will not get squashed. Immortality is not gained at the level of the body-mind-assemblage. In fact, it is not gained at all. It is already existent as the truth of oneself. The “I” as the observer, the awareness that pervades the body-mind-sense complex is uncreated, and therefore is whole and free of all limitations. Understanding this frees one from sorrow. Although this knowledge is very direct, it can be difficult to internalize so long as one mistakes oneself for what one is not–finite, subject to limitations, separated from the whole, etc. Therefore, we need the grace of the creator to overcome the obstacles posed by the mind, in the form of habitual

orientations and desires that lead one away from one’s sense of

being and purpose. One does not have the power to control one’s thoughts and fancies as they arise in the mind. However, one can cultivate the discrimination to distinguish between the thoughts and fancies one can pursue and those that one should let go. Surrendering to the Great Mother, the source of everything --including one’s thoughts and fancies-- one gains inner space, a growing sense of resolution and clarity.

This song to the Mother Goddess Mūkāmbikā

eulogizes her as an incarnation of the knowledge of oneself as limitless, and free of all longing. The Goddess protects those who surrender to her. She is the essence of OṀ, the contemplation of which relieves one from the bonds of sorrow. She bestows discrimination, and the ability to let go, and composure, in the form of a mind that is unbridled by conflict and therefore capable of grasping the message of its wholeness and glory. The Goddess ¸ is formless and beyond all divisions; she is indeed the knowledge born of the Veda. Where does this glorious Goddess reside? She shines in the cave of one’s own heart.

Praise Song for Goddess Mūkāmbikā

Rāga (Melody) Kalāvatī Tāla (rhythm) Khanda Cāpu

!यायािम म&काि(बक* जगद(ब* !यायािम म&काम.बकाम्dhyāyāmi mūkāmbikāṃ jagadambāṃ dhyāyāmi mūkāmbikāṃ

I contemplate upon Goddess Mūkāmbikā, mother of theuniverse. I contemplate on Goddess Mūkāmbikā.

01ानघन4.पण7 0णतकल:ष.नवा.रणीम् 0क?.तपाश.वमोिचन7 0णवािCमकाम्

prajñānaghanarūpinīṃ praṇtakaluṣanivāriṇīmprakṛtipāśavimocinīṃ praṇavātmikām

Presiding in the form of pure consciousness, remover ofafflictions for those who surrender, freer of the bonds of

illusion, whose form is the sacred om

!यायािम म&काि(बक* जगद(ब* !यायािम म&काम.बकाम्dhyāyāmi mūkāmbikāṃ jagadambāṃ dhyāyāmi mūkāmbikāṃ

I contemplate upon Goddess Mūkāmbikā, mother of theuniverse, I contemplate on Goddess Mūkāmbikā

.वDकवEराFयवरद* शमा.दस(पH:ताम्.नIकल.नगमाJतज* .नजग:हचराम्

vivekavairāgyavaradāṃ śamādisampadāyutām

5

niṣkalanigamāntajāṃ nijaguhacarāmBestower of discrimination and objectivity, endowed with the treasures

of composure and calmness.Her nature is beyond all division, understood through (thestudy of) Vedanta; she shimmers in the cave of my heart

!यायािम म&काि(बक* जगद(ब* !यायािम म&काम.बकाम्dhyāyāmi mūkāmbikāṃ jagadambāṃ dhyāyāmi mūkāmbikāṃ

I contemplate upon Goddess Mūkāmbikā, mother of theuniverse, I contemplate on Goddess Mūkāmbikā

Śivarātri at the Aśram in Washington, DCby Swetha Sankaran

If it is a privilege to be in the presence of Sadhviji and listening to her discourses, it is a great privilege to be present and participate in the celebration of such an auspicious occasion as Mahā Śivarātri at our DC Aśram, with Sadhviji.

The day began with much excitement, mostly because of the anticipation of what was in store for the evening. I was eagerly looking forward for the divine darśan. The minute we reached the aśram and

rang its doorbell, we were welcomed by a sādhaka with a very warm smile, with the chanting of Rudram in the background; I knew we had arrived.

The whole aśram was filled with a divine energy. It was truly an exquisite sight to see the Śiva Liṅgam dedicatedly anointed and worshipped throughout the evening pūjās. Sadhviji was doing abhiśekam

for the Liṅgam with milk, ghee, yogurt, flowers, honey and water. I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw that devotees too were allowed to do abhiśekam to The Lord. Sadhviji’s loving and caring attention made the celebration extra special for all present. What a lucky treat indeed!

The most memorable parts of the evening for me were the times during which my daughter joined in chanting ‘Mṛityuñjāya mantra’ and the beautiful ‘Namaste Asthu Bhagavān’ while they were being recited. She also got the wonderful opportunity of distributing prasādam to all devotees after each abhiśekam. The sincerity and eagerness with which she executed her task moved me beyond words. What more blessing could a mother want? I felt humbled by the kindness of the Lord Almighty, who is ever merciful, loving and giving to us in so many ways. We must have done some really pious deeds to deserve these showers of blessings.

Breathing the sacred air and hearing the efficacious hymn of Śrī Rudram and Camakam during the pūjā were both peaceful and blissful. I could not help wishing, rather longing, that I knew how to recite it properly and eloquently. Had I known, I could also have enjoyed the happiness of chanting it along with the much learned devotees present there. The reverberating hymn lent a mesmerizing effect to the whole atmosphere. Fasting, chanting, praying and being in the presence of Sadhviji were a refreshing breath of fresh air from the demands and turmoils of my day-to-day life.

I seek the blessings of Sadhviji and thank her from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to be at our aśram for Mahā Śivarātri celebrations.

I bow down offering my humble salutations to Lord Śiva, the remover of illusions. Taking refuge at his feet, I pray The Almighty to shatter the darkness of ignorance and shine the light of knowledge on us all.

6

Śivarātri Ārṣa Vijñāna Gurukulam, DC

7

A Pilgrimage into the Wisdom and Conviviality of Hinduism

By Easten Law, Wesley Theological SeminaryOn March 3rd, 2011, Dr. Sathianathan Clarke, of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., accompanied a cohort of 50 seminary students to a lecture by Sadhvi Chaitanya of Ārṣa Vijñāna Gurukulam followed by a guided visit to the Śrī Śiva Viṣṇu Temple in Lanham, MD. Wesley Theological Seminary seeks to prepare future Christian ministers with a sense of global engagement, including a heart for fostering inter-religious dialogue and skills for collaborating with co-religionists in serving the needs of all human beings. Our visit to the Temple was an opportunity to sit and learn as guests and students of another great tradition of faith. After being warmly welcomed by Temple staff and volunteers, Sadhviji Chaitanya gave us a profoundly insightful, unexpectedly humorous, and amazingly practical lecture on Hindu principles and practice. This was followed by an engaging, honest, and receptive time of questions and answers. The teachings of Hinduism often mystify the Western worldview with many layers of meaning. Sadhviji managed to not only clarify the spirit of Hinduism, but using apt metaphors she gave us powerful examples of how to apply these teachings to our lives. "Our guru made Hinduism much clearer with vivid examples and illustrations. I left with a much better understanding of this tradition and a deep appreciation for the community," said Martha Watson, one of our students. Through Sadhviji's inspiring and edifying address, the teachings of our textbooks and classroom lectures came alive.Following our conversation, we were given a tour of the SSV Temple. For many Christians in the United States, Hindu Temples provoke both feelings of awe and discomfort. With intricately designed images of various gods and goddesses, the smells of flowers, fruits, and incense, and the hustling of priests and families moving from shrine to shrine, the entire experience can be overwhelming for the outsider. Yet under Sadhviji's guidance, the apparent chaos of the temple became less intimidating. Dick Brooks, another student, put it well: "While it felt

strange to experience the temple shrines, it piqued a curiosity in me to better understand the Hindu form of worship." At first glance, it can be easy for Christians to caricature Hinduism as a faith of idolatry with its many images of rituals. However, our gracious visit and instructive tour helped many of us peel away this stereotype, giving new perspective into another tradition of worship that is as authentic and powerful as our own. "At first, I thought Hindus really did worship the trees and the rocks," said student Jacqueline Speaks, "[but] now I understand that when Hindus worship images, it is because they can see God through them, not because they see the image as God. We have similar symbols in our Christian tradition too."Our visit concluded with a delicious, home-cooked, South Indian meal served by Temple volunteers. "I was moved by the offer of dinner. Through their amazing acts of hospitality and the time given in conversation, I am eager to learn more about Hinduism," commented another student. The sharing of a meal is one of the most sincere acts of hospitality one can offer, and we were deeply honored to receive it. In an age when religious tensions stem from ignorance and can often lead to violence, the act of breaking bread together symbolized a commitment to understand the importance of seeking dialogue and building real relationships with the other. No doubt, there are some differences between our religious traditions. Yet because we are created by and live under One Divine Being (God) we must learn from our commonalities too. While our visit highlighted many differences between the Christian and Hindu traditions, it also re-affirmed the importance of seeking truth together in order to live it out for the benefit of all people. This is a lesson that cannot be learned in a classroom alone. As such, we give deep thanks to Sadhviji and the staff of Srī Śiva Viṣṇu Temple for serving us during this visit and bringing us closer together. Through this encounter we have glimpsed the image of God in our Hindu brothers and sisters; we have also recognized elements of the Divine spark in another religious family.

8

Sadhviji’s Eugene Visit –March 2011: Summary of Hastāmalakīyam

By Faith LaCrossEach time Sadhviji visits Eugene, the community is blessed beyond measure with the wisdom of Vedanta unfolded by a gifted teacher. This trip was no exception. There were many students present for the continuing Taittirīya Upaniṣad and evening online classes as well as chanting, Sanskrit and a Gīta Home Study class. We were also blessed to have a special guest with us from India – Mātaji. It was an honor to greet her with a room full of students, followed by pada pūjā and chanting.We have been studying the beautiful text, Hastāmalakīyam when Sadhviji comes to Eugene. These classes have been in a mini-retreat format, starting with a meditation followed by two classes. The meditation clears the heart and mind, preparing one to listen and assimilate the words of the śāstra.The text is written by Hastāmalaka, one of Adi Śaṅkara’s four students. It is a spontaneous composition in answer to Śaṅkarāchārya’s question to the 8 year old Hastāmalaka, “Who are you?” Until asked this question by Śaṅkara, Hastāmalaka had not spoken and people thought he did not have the ability to understand let alone speak. However, Hastāmalaka, speaking for the first time, gave a complex answer, not that of a typical child, or even a typical adult. We may answer, “I am a child, a mother, a banker, a nurse.” Hastāmalaka answered with the truth of who he was, and who we all are, through a series of beautiful metaphors. The text begins by saying that the whole world comes to light in the light of the sun. The ātmā is just like this, being the cause of the functioning of the mind, of the sense organs, etc. The mind and senses are inert without being blessed by that sentience that allows them to function in their own areas. As heat, the nature of fire is lent to boil water in the kettle, so to the insentient-senses

borrow their sentience from ātmā. The transferred heat of fire heats up everything else just like the “borrowed” light of ātmā throws light upon the jīva.If the doubt arises that this means there should be many ātmās lending their presence, that is answered in the next verse illustrating what happens when you look in a mirror. It appears that there is both your real face and the reflected face. You know there is just one face and do not mistake it for two. Without the real face being present the reflected face would not exist, but really there is just one face. Just as there is one ātmā, one consciousness, that manifests as jīva. It is important to not get stuck in this limited metaphor of reflection and see clearly that really there is no reflection; there is just consciousness. It is just like

when you put red cloth behind a clear crystal. It appears as a red crystal but really it remains unchanged.

The text goes on to say that when the mirror is not there, the reflection ceases to exist, just as when the mind is resting in

samādhi (that is, it ceases to exist), the ātmā remains. It is important not to see thoughts as bad or to have one’s goal to be a state of thoughtlessness. Instead, what is meant here is to associate with the thinker, the one witnessing the thoughts, rather than with the thoughts themselves. Cessation of the mind is about removing the identification with the mind, not removing the thoughts. Now Hastāmalakaya shows the interesting way that the body-mind-sense complex is connected and yet unconnected to the ātmā. Ātmā is the one that blesses the eyes, ears, etc. without being any one of them. If doubt comes and questions how can one ātmā be everything, it is answered in the next verse. That one ātmā, I, shines in many buddhis (intellects) but remains

free of any attributes. Just as if there are many pots of water you will see the sun in all the pots but the fact

remains that there is just one sun. The sun did not become many just as ātmā does not become many. The example is

taken further to say that an apple shines simultaneously in

9

many eyes at the same time just as when the sun shines, light takes place wherever the sun shines. The ātmā, I, that is the witness to even the light of the sun, cognizes the presence of the sun. In other words, my light, which is greater than the light of the sun, brings the sun to light. Continuing with the examples, the sun is said to shine the same way in various waters, whether they are still or moving.

Similarly, in the moving mind and non-moving mind, the same light of the ātmā shines without undergoing any change at all. If it were not for the sun one could not see the clouds. Thinking that the clouds are covered is just a vision problem, not a problem with the sun. The same is true for wanting to remove the disease of saṁsāra; all that is needed is a vision adjustment, like getting a cataract removal. The affliction is in wrong perception born of avidya; to remove this cataract it is necessary to consistently expose oneself to the knowledge. No matter what one seeks, there is just one thread, one ātmā. Rāgadveśas do not affect the ātmā, because in the presence of the ātmā, all is recognizable including fear and pain. The ātmā is the purest of the pure. Like the crystal that remains ever clear while appearing to take on the color of what is put near it, similarly, in different buddhis, the same light of ātmā is there. In the same way the sun is not moving just because water is moving, ātmā is not moving just because the mind is moving. To answer Śaṅkara’s question, “Who are you?” Hastāmalakaya said -- I am that ātmā, and guru, you are that -tat tvam asi. In both buddhis, there is that same ātmā. You appear to be changing (first the questioner and then the listener), but there is no change. We are one and the same! Sadhviji brought the text to a beautiful completion and I take comfort in knowing that no matter what text we study next, it will be perfect, complete in itself, and skillfully unfolded by our beloved teacher.

Sadhviji’s Introduction to Chapter 17 of the Gītaby Mayaskari Rothbart

On March 17, 2011, Eugene’s Gīta Home Study (GHS) group held one of the potlucks that have become traditional during Sadhviji’s visits to Oregon. We were especially blessed in that Mātaji was also visiting Eugene. With the grace of our guru, we are now close to completion of reading the Gīta and Swamiji’s commentaries, having begun our study 7 years ago. At the beginning of the evening, Sadhviji gave us an introduction to the 17th chapter of the Gīta, which we had recently begun reading. Her talk greatly clarified that chapter and its importance

to us.

Sadhviji pointed out that the Gīta can be divided into 3 groups of 6 chapters each, with the first 6 chapters concerned with the jīva (tvam), the second group with Īśvara (tat), and the third with how we can come to understand that the jīva and Īśvara are one and the same (asi).

Hinduism has been described as 1) a vision, and 2) a way of life that allows us to understand that vision. Sadhviji said that since we have been studying Gīta for seven years, we know the vision, but we are hesitant to own up to the knowledge. Chapters 13-18 describe the way of life that prepares a person for the knowledge without a doubt. These chapters are of fundamental importance because they

serve as prerequisites for doubt-free knowledge.

In Chapter 13, we were introduced to the 20 values described by Swamiji in his book The Value of Values. Through pursuing our values, we develop the qualities of objectivity and maturity that prepare us for the

10

knowledge. Sadhviji noted that in case we had forgotten these values over the next two chapters of the Gīta, they were reintroduced in the 16th chapter in terms of the positive or becoming qualities of a person versus their negative or unbecoming qualities. These values and qualities are quite general, and relatively easily accepted by the student.

In Chapter 17, however, Kṛṣṇa moves up close and personal; he goes so far as to observe us in prayer and in seva, and even to look inside our refrigerator. In this chapter, Lord Kṛṣṇa enters domains that are very personal to us: our relationship with Īśvara (in prayer), our pantries and refrigerators (as seen in the food we eat and serve), and our pocketbooks and seva or service (as seen in our giving). Kṛṣṇa talks about differences in approaches to prayer, food and giving. In each domain, he describes the sattvic, rajasic and tamasic approaches, giving approval to the sattvic approach.

In the domain of prayer or worship, one may 1) pray that the mind is made pure enough through suspending rāgas and dveśas to be the

instrument (antaḥ-kāraṇa-śuddhi) for the knowledge (sattvic prayer), 2) engage in restless prayer and impose severe austerities (rajasic prayer), or 3) take short cuts in prayer or not pray at all (tamasic prayer). The first approach is recommended.

In the food domain, one may 1) eat healthy food (Sadhviji noted that Eugene residents are generally very good at this: we look for food that is free of pesticides, raised organically, raised locally, etc. (sattvic food). We may also 2) eat hot and over-spicy food—this may occur through one’s cultural habits (rajasic food), or 3) eat heavy, garlicky, unhygienic food, or leftovers from which the essence of the food has departed and there is danger of spoilage (tamasic food). The first approach is recommended, although we must remember that in the

early days of the Gīta, there were no refrigerators, and spoilage resulting in illness was a real problem.

In the domain of giving, one may 1) give anonymously as it is needed (sattvic giving), 2) give in order to be seen positively by others (rajasic giving), or 3) give when it is not needed (tamasic giving). The first approach is recommended.

How may we respond to Kṛṣṇa’s instructions In Chapter 17? If we take them as religious disciplines with hard and fast applications, we may either reject them (with resulting resistance to the teaching), or follow them implicitly (with religious faddism a likely result).

If we take the prescriptions as blueprints for healthy living, on the other hand, realizing that what works for one person may not work for the next, we can use them to keep the body-mind-sense complex at an optimal level for gaining the knowledge that we are what we seek. By applying the Gīta as a blueprint for one’s own way of life and living in moderation, we are better prepared for the knowledge, and we are also prepared to give up any hesitancy about saying “I know” when we know already.

Finally, Chapter 17 asks us to watch what we eat, how we pray, and how we give, introspecting on even mundane events in ways that can promote our spiritual lives. Sadhviji gave us further proof of how important the last 6 chapters of the Gīta are: In order to receive the knowledge, we need to be prepared for it, and these chapters help us in gaining the objectivity and maturity that are prerequisites to the removal of ignorance. Rather than resisting Chapter 17 or following it slavishly, Sadhviji showed us how we can follow its meaning.

11

Installation of Gaṇeśa at Mahādeva Mūkāmbika Shrine in Eugene, Or

12

Śivatrātri at Mūkāmbikā Mahādeva Shrine, Eugene, Orby Shanti Shivani

Mahā Śivarātri was celebrated at the Mūkāmbikā Mahādeva Shrine in Eugene, Or on Wednesday, March 2nd, and it was a very blissful celebration of Lord Śiva indeed.

Upon entering the temple one was immediately taken by the beauty and radiance of the Devi dressed in a precious, burgundy-colored brocade sari and adorned with her best jewelry. Devi, Gaṇeśa and Nandi were all decorated with the most elaborate garlands and the most beautiful flowers.

Then your eyes were drawn to the Śiva shrine. A magnificent Śiva mūrti was sitting behind the Śiva liṅgam and a very large, striking

Batik wall hanging with the portrait of Lord Śiva was hanging above Them. Śiva (Mahādeva) in the form of the liṅgam had been decorated prior to the pūjā with a beautiful design on Him.

A beautiful recording of the śatarudriya (also known as the namakam section of the Śrī Rudram) chanted by a group of pandits was playing while the devotees of Pujya Swamiji, Sadhviji, Ammachi, Sathya Sai Baba and Śrī Ganapati

Sachchidananda Swamiji, from Eugene and Corvallis and even Ashland started to fill the temple. Many families with children arrived and the energy became more and more ecstatic as the evening progressed.

All of the devotees came up to the Śiva shrine either one by one or as a couple or family and made offerings to Mahādeva by pouring milk, mango juice, yogurt and pañchamṛtam on the liṅgam as an offering. The pañchamṛtam is traditionally made of milk, yogurt (or curd), ghee, honey, and sugar. Fruits were also offered to Śiva.

After the Śatarudriya, songs were offered to Śiva both by individuals and by members of the represented saṇghas. We then went on to recite the Śiva Pañchakṣari Mantra (Om namaḥ Śivāya) prior to each of the 108 names given in the Śrī Śiva-aṣṭottara-śata-nāmāvaliḥ.

In the course of the evening the Divine Mother was dropping flowers as a sign of Her pleasure. The temple kept on getting fuller and fuller until it seemed that it could hold no more. While the abhiśeka continued the devotees once again offered chants and bhajans to Śiva.

At the end of the pūjā, Tirtham was distributed to all. This Tirtham consisted of Śiva's bath water, i.e., it had all the ingredients poured on Śiva, not only pañchamṛtam. Ladu and flower petals were also offered to the devotees.

The energy was so high after everyone left that some of us remained in the temple for at least another hour. I felt so inspired that I was drawn to singing a Dhrupad Rāga - Rāga Bhairavi - as well as a few more chants and bhajans to the Divine Mother and Mahādeva. We were all filled with a great sense of inner peace and joy. It had been a very powerful and blissful Mahā Śivarātri indeed.

13

Śivarātri, Eugene, Or

14

One Year Anniversary of Mūkāmbikā Shrine in Eugene, Or

by Bidyut Prava Das.

My humble Salutations at my guru's feet.

Before I start writing about our Ambikā Shrine's one year anniversary, I would like to mention briefly how the shrine manifested. After all, it is also related to the anniversary celebration.

Our goddess Mūkāmbikā arrived in Eugene on 15th October 2007, during the Navarātri Festival. For the first three years, we had a small shrine room for her, where it would have been rather difficult to put the whole divine family together. When the time came to shift her to a little bigger place, where we can do the daily pūjās and celebrate the many Hindu festivals, the community got together and did many brain-storming sessions to find a right place for the shrine but our goddess had her own plans. Our goddess has traveled from India to California and Florida, before coming to Oregon.

I am kind of attached to her, and since it was so close to our house that I was able to visit her any time I missed her. When I first heard from Sadhviji that goddess will be moving, perhaps with plenty of extra space, and where we could create a beautiful shrine (which was a wonderful idea), it was very hard for me to think of her going away to any other place.

I guess the human nature is like that. We get so used to our comfort zones that it is hard to let it go. To be honest, I tried to make all kinds

of excuses so as to see her not move away from our neighborhood. It was so convenient for me to do the daily pūjā when she was just a few blocks away.

Even knowing that she will still be in Eugene, and that too, only 10 minutes away from our home, I was still upset with the goddess. I told her, if you leave my neighborhood I will only come to see you or do

your pūjā once a month instead of every week that I was doing. But I guess all these were useless thoughts, for

how long can you be mad at your mother? The whole time Sadhviji was very supportive of the

community and gave us a lot of courage to get over this difficult time. We thank her for that.

Before the goddess moved to the new location, I had a song, sung by our beloved Amma, that was going through my mind day and night... “Everywhere I look I find you, all that I hear is the sound of you, only your name on my breath... Devi, Devi, Oh my

Devi. What have I done, Oh my dear Devi, that has caused you to go away? My eyes cry for a

glimpse of you, Devi. When will you come? Though You have left me, Oh my dear Devi,

You can never ever leave my mind. You are inside of me, Devi, in each and every beat of my heart... Devi, Devi, Devi."

Then on the 16th of May 2010, the day arrived when we were to take our goddess to her new shrine location. A lot of the rituals were done

under Sadhviji's guidance for the shrine move.

But now I understand why she wanted to move... she wanted her consort, Lord Śiva, and her son, Lord Gaṇeśa, to join her. That week, surprisingly a Śivaliṅgam also arrived, so both of them could move together, and then Gaṇeśa also joined his parents. The entire time as I

15

was going through the separation anxiety, and I was feeling very sad, the whole community was coming together to celebrate this wonderful shrine's inauguration.

Now, I feel silly about the whole thing and I cannot believe that it has been one whole year since we moved her to the new shrine. We just celebrated her first year anniversary with a beautiful abhiśeka for Lord Śiva, Lord Gaṇeśa and our beautiful goddess with milk, yogurt, honey, coconut water and juice, and lots of snowball flower petals among other flowers. She looked like as if she was taking a bath in snowflakes. It was so beautiful to see the whole universal family bathing together. Of course, Sadhviji performed the abhiśeka, and we all participated in that ritual.

Then there was a beautiful homa that was performed by long time residents of our community, Nilendra and Kanchan Deshpandeji, under Sadhviji's instructions. We chanted lots of mantras 108 times: Gayatri mantra, Dakṣiṇāmūrti mantra and Gaṇeśa mantra, and many other slokas. Finally, we did the three pradakṣinas of the homa kund.

With those powerful chants and the mantras the whole atmosphere was filled with divine

energy, where one can completely forget themselves and merge into the spiritual world. The mantras, slokas and Sadhviji's presence made it very lively. We sang a few bhajans, did an ārati, and afterward feasted on a wonderful variety of prasād made by all the wonderful people.

Our goddess looked extremely beautiful and

was very happy, so did the Mahādeva and Gaṇeśa. The whole experience is hard to describe in words--one must experience it.

Of course, I still miss not having Ambikā in my neighborhood, but feel that she is always with me and in a right place for the time being. We all know that light comes after

dark. I went through all those difficult days when our goddess moved away from me, But she was so kind and merciful to me, that she blessed me with her shadow a little goddess called Utsava. Now, among all the other festivals, we also look forward to celebrating one more festival, the Anniversary.

Here in Eugene we are so fortunate to have this rare opportunity to do the daily ritual pūjā. I think it is the greatest blessing for all of us, and a wonderful seva too. Perhaps, it might be some good karma of our past lives that we have gotten this opportunity to serve her in this life time.

I would like to give special thanks to Sadhviji and also to the Corvallis and Eugene communities for supporting and helping each other for the whole year. I hope we will continue to grow every year. Eugene is

becoming a great spiritual place with all the spiritual education and activities. We are truly blessed.

16

Dakṣiṇāmūrthi in Eugene, Or

17

Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti Shrine in Eugene, OrBy Gordon Hennesy

On April 2, 2010 Harinder and I wrote a letter to Pujya Swamiji, asking for his blessing to have a shrine within our home, dedicated to Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti.

Little did I realize how large an undertaking we were committing to, nor what a large blessing it would turn out to be for our family, and for the community in Eugene.Once we received Pujya Swamiji's blessing to proceed, we set about the task of preparing the space to be used as a shrine including a beautiful altar in the corner of the shrine from which the Lord would be able to face south, thus teaching us from the same direction as he faced the four sages, the original four students of Vedanta. All the work got done with ease and grace thanks to the help of the members of our community and the blessing of the Guru.Finally, the Lord arrived in Eugene from Bangalore on March 25, 2011 and went in water on March 27th. On May 14 we had a small ceremony to take the Lord out of the water and place Him in rice after receiving His darśan.The Lord Medhā Dakṣiṇāmūrti Shrine was formally inaugurated with Vedic mantras and sanctifying rituals on the 29th of May, 2011. The fire ritual, the sacred bath of the Lord, and the chanting of the mantras, which we were all blessed to participate in, created a sacred space,.We had a splendid day of celebration and worship, starting with a fire ceremony, in which Harinder and I were joined by Bhaskar and Sucheta

in pouring the ghee on the flames, as Sadhviji guided us with the vedic chants. We went into the shrine, received the wonderful darśan from Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti, sang bhajans, and participated in a beautiful pūjā, guided by our own Sadhviji.When we wrote to Pujya Swamiji asking for his prayers for the safe installation of the Lord, we received the following letter we would like to share with you:

Inauguration of Lord Dakṣināmūrti Shrine, Eugene, Orby Vera Vandendries

We are very blessed to have the Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti Shrine, because very few shrines and temples are devoted to Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti, and to have one in Eugene is special. To insure the success of the inauguration, the weekend before at the Mūkāmbikā Mahādeva Shrine’s first year anniversary celebration an invitation was given to the Goddess, Mūkāmbikā. From the potency generated during the inauguration and Pradośa pūjā, the Goddess definitely had given her blessings. Starting at 10:15 a.m. the inauguration was a full day event. People arrived early at the shrine. Before the homa, a pūjā was performed at which time one of the principle participants of the homa did ārati and we offered flowers at Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti’s feet. Then, we went outside to observe the homa. The two married couples performing the homa,

Dear Harinder and Gordon,Thank you very much for your letter.I am very happy to know that you have created a shrine for Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti in your home in Eugene. My prayers for this shrine to remain a source of blessing and inspiration to all of you under the guidance of Sadhviji.With best wishes and love.

Yours,Dayananda

18

Harinder Kaur Khalsa & Gordon Hennesy, and Eldurkar & Sucheta Bhaskar silently made the intention for the homa, and took their seats around the prepared area. Gaṇeśa, Mūkāmbikā, and Dakṣiṇāmūrti were honored, each with a pots of water with a coconut on top. Pūjā was performed to Gaṇeśa and a prayer for harmony among all peoples of the world was recited. Also, the prayer to the nine planets was chanted. As the fire was lit, a soft and gentle rain began. In Oregon rain is not unusual, but this time is felt like a blessing from Mother Nature. The steady mist made people move under the breezeway, creating a friendly coziness. The fire grew stronger and in the moving flames lively shapes were formed. As the ghee was being offered, we chanted the Dakṣiṇāmūrti mūla mantra. At the end of the homa we did pradakṣiṇa around the fire. It was interesting that people lingered and were told to keep moving so others could circumambulate. I think people felt the sacredness of the moment and wanted to hold on to it.Immediately after the homa, we entered the shrine and sat facing Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti while our Guru, Sadhviji, started the abhiśeka. The pot with the water, infused with the mantra, was also brought into the shrine. Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti was adorned with leaves and flower petals

before the sacred water was poured over him. The attendees were also blessed with the water. Everyone had multiple opportunities to participate in the abhiśeka by pouring milk over the Lord. For the abhiśeka seven different waters were prepared along with many other ingredients. At one time smoke from the homa entered the shrine spreading its blessings during the bathing ritual. Afterwards, Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti was cleaned and dried, we left the shrine while he was being dressed and garlanded. When we came back we chanted the 108 names of Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti and some persons sang bhajans. Ārati was performed and we all received the blessings of the flame. Then, we enjoyed the delicious communal potluck lunch. A few hours later we returned to the shrine for the Pradośa pūjā. This special pūjā is performed on the 12th night of the waxing and waning moons with worship and a ritual bathing. The pūjā is intended to grant the fulfillment of wishes of the devotees. The night of May 29, 2011 was the 12th night of the waning moon. This date is auspicious and thus, the reason for also having the inauguration. As we entered the shrine, Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti wore only a beautiful garland and was ready for the abhiśeka. During the bathing we all poured milk over the Lord. The event was very much a family affair because children participated in the bathing and added sounds from musical instruments during the chanting. Because of the sculptural intricacies of Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti’s beautiful form great care was given in cleaning and drying. Even the youngest member lent a helping hand. Then, Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti was dressed in one of his new attires. Again, we chanted the 108 names of Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti and at the end we

19

chanted the Gaṅga stotram. Ārati was performed and prasād was given to the attendees. Afterwards, Sadhviji showed Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti’s new clothing. We delighted in the showing, which gave us a preview of the Lord’s appearance in future pūjās. The evening did not stop with the potluck dinner. Sadhviji went back into the shrine for additional chanting. Afterwards, she added more roots to the tree behind Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti, giving the finishing touches to the shrine. At the end of the celebration, we left with a sense of fullness and contentment, knowing that we had participated in something sacred. Bags of rice were given as prasād. Prior to the inauguration and part of the preparation mantras were recited, while Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti lay covered with rice. This special rice was a beautiful way of extending the blessings to all those who will part take of it.Among the activities of the day there were magical and profound moments. From the beginning people were amazed by the beauty of Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti’s form. During the inauguration we noticed that his face seemed to change from a sense of absorption to an appearance of fullness and an apparent liveliness. In addition, Sadhviji had noticed that photos taken after the Pradośa pūjā showed the Lord’s left eye with a stream of tears. The water was not from the abhiśeka, because great care was given in drying him. Besides, these photos were taken long after the bathing. Since the left eye was involved and is considered feminine, the phenomenon could be viewed as an act of Goddess Gaṅga. Seated in Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti’s hair, she is the source of the mighty river, and thus water. A logical explanation is perhaps not possible, but we know when the heart is deeply touched tears of joy flow, and maybe the Lord was very pleased with the pūjā. If the mystery of the tears were not enough, one photo showed a beam of light coming from Lord Dakshinamurti’s torch to the lamp being held during ārati. We think the ārati flame lights up the Lord, but it is His Light that shines, giving light to the ārati flame. Sadhviji mentioned that a unique quality existed while performing ārati. Another interesting aspect of his eyes is that they are half closed, showing an attitude of meditation. Personally, in Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti’s presence I found that I was drawn into meditation effortlessly. I was told that the power to still

of the mind is part of his method of teaching the truth of one’s Self. Reflection of these discoveries simply confirms that the Lord shines and is alive through his beautiful form. The auspiciousness and sacredness of this day have touched our lives and will live on in our memories.

Talks on Freedom from Disenchantmentby E. Bhaskar

We were fortunate to host a mini retreat at our place on Saturday the May 28th with Sadhviji Chaitanya. About 20 people attended the mini

retreat. Sadhviji started with meditation guiding us through an elaborate mental pūjā of our iṣṭa-devata by

invoking the devata, offering the seat, water for ablution, akṣata, flowers, incense, prasād, and

the lights. Sadhviji offered this would be another form of meditation that one could perform. The topic of the retreat was

“Freedom from Disenchantment”. As usual, Sadhviji brought her extensive knowledge of

Vedas, Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gīta, and other scriptures to expound on the subject. She wove through various personal experiences and anecdotes, in her own inimitable style to explain “disenchantment” and the cause for the same. The human being, as opposed to other living creatures, is able to express his awe at nature and at the same time feel persecuted by forces of nature while trying to achieve his best. This dichotomy is at the bottom of feeling “disenchanted”. Not being able to achieve one’s desires because of perceived victimization leads to disenchantment. Some practical suggestions on how to be free from this

20

disenchantment: Attempt to be with the whole (to be the whole) and to be connected to the whole. What does this mean? Be with the whole means be with the manifestations of the whole (or Īśvara) and one of the manifestations of Īśvara is dharma. So, be connected to dharma (or follow dharma) in your day-to-day life. Have an altar of surrender in your home where you can pray or meditate even if only for 2 minutes a day. Whatever you do, do it worshipfully without any ego. And finally be in the now. Live your life fully in the present.

Healing the Inner Child through Vedanta: Sadhviji’s Public Talks in Eugene

By Kanchan & Nilendra Deshpande

There is a beautiful allegorical story from Śiva Purāna. There were denizens from the heaven, called Devas, who lead very dharmic lives; and then there were adharmic beings called Asuras, those that reveled in pleasures of the senses. They both heard that there was a potion of immortality hidden deep in the ocean. They formed a temporary alliance to gain this potion. They uprooted a mountain and used it as a rod to churn the ocean, and used a snake that was passing by as a rope to turn the mountain back and forth. This churning resulted in releasing a noxious poison that came out first imperiling the whole creation. The story goes that Lord Śiva comes to the rescue gobbling the poison. Last to come out of the ocean is the nectar, the potion of immortality, and Lord Viṣṇu sees to it that Devas get the nectar, while Asuras are lured away by a fake potion. This is just an allegory, and Devas and Asuras are just warring thoughts in our own mind. Should I do the right thing like Devas, or the expedient thing like the Asuras ? The warring battles are taking place in the ocean of unconscious. Unconscious is the receptacle of all things that happened in early childhood. We no longer have memory of those happenings, that is why it is called the unconscious. Devas are those aspects of us that would like to overcome limitations of our early experiences. Desire for immortality is the desire to be free, limitless. This desire comes

under the influence of the warring ideas. Churning mountain used as a rod is the study of the Self through Upaniṣad. The snake is Īśvara’s grace that leads us to the teaching. When churning happens, it is not pretty in the beginning, like the poison that comes forth.

The study is connected with understanding the Self or I. There is a great confusion about who is the real I. Is it the body, as when I say I am 5’6”. Or is it the mind when we say I know physics? Then there are different roles that I play, like mother, teacher, daughter, etc. Which is the real I? Study leads to confronting the inner sludge, which is uncomfortable in the beginning. Knowledge of the self is gained through Upaniṣads. Although the principle message is the same, i.e.: You are That, there are many different Upaniṣads in the Vedas, each presenting the message in a different form to accommodate for our individual tastes.

We can reduce the ignorance of I to two I’s that coexist. There is the sad, wanting I that is complaining of its lot in life. There is the second I that is not wanting and perfectly happy. We all experience the second I in the sleeping state, when all the troubles are forgotten.

21

Even in waking state we encounter the happy state for example when we hear a joke that we particularly enjoy. Muṇḍakopaniṣad talks about two birds that are on a branch of a tree. These birds are great friends. One is active all the time, going from one berry to another, finding some bitter, some sweet. The other bird is wise and is a witness to all this activity. It is free of action and the fruits of the action. Its presence in fact gives existence to the other bird. This is like the two I’s. There is the one true I that is the witness, and the other I, the small I, is the inner child, which identifies itself as the doer, and the done in. One is real and the other is an apparition. The secret is in developing a space between the witness I and the doer I.

We talk of three orders of reality in Vedanta. The first order is I, the consciousness. Second order of reality is the manifest reality. The third order of reality is the subjective reality, an imagined reality. There is no problem with the first order of reality, because it is the truth of everything. Second order of reality has to be accepted because it is there, and I find myself in this world with given circumstances. It is however a dependent reality. This is where I identifies with the body, or the mind, or a particular role that I am playing. The third order of reality is peculiar to a human being. Human beings come with the ability to make a choice. Along with this comes self-judgment

and judgment of others. In this context we have to be careful dealing with the unconscious. Expressions of unconscious are projections from the past. Feeling of abandonment from childhood can suddenly pop up in the form of anger or sorrow. One has to learn to deal with the suppressed memories from the past. We refer to this as the inner child. When reality is not known, the unreal becomes the real. Some practical ways of dealing with the inner child are the following:

A) Understand that any emotion that comes, even if it seems to come from the second order of reality, it is not. Present situations are only the trigger to emotional outbursts. Accept that all outbursts originate in the unconscious. One has to realize that the anger or any other emotional outburst does not belong to me. Give myself space to realize that any outburst is from the past. The problem is most easily triggered when the word “my” comes up. When possession is not involved, there is no cause for emotional outburst or unhappiness. But when you say “my” house or “my” children then there are expectations that may not be fulfilled. As “I” plays different roles, it is important to keep in mind that “I”, the basic person plays different roles, but is independent of the roles.

B) Understand that the only therapist that can finally help you is yourself. Therapist validates the emotion. There is a difference between the person and the behavior. Anger, sadness are here for a reason. They are part of the order, Īśvara. Express how you feel. Direct your emotions so that no one gets hurt. When you are upset, write it out. Welcome fear and find harmless ways of expressing anger.

C) Take help. This is very important. There are groups to help people with problems that you may have.

D) Finally, Vedanta goes one step farther. Mother and father are fallible, what the inner child is seeking is the infallible. We say that which is infallible is Īśvara. There is an order in the universe. This is the altar of surrender that resolves all inner conflicts. In Hinduism this altar of surrender takes different forms, like Śiva or Sarsvati, but the worship is to the same formless one, the only basic reality. The universe has a purpose that we may not understand. I surrender to the altar of surrender, and find myself connected to the whole. This is the final resolution.

22

Guru Pādukā Stotram with Sadhvijiby Rama Giri Rondeau

On Monday, May 30th, 2011, Vedanta students from Eugene and Corvallis, Oregon gathered at the feet of our beloved Gurudeviji, Sadhvi Chaitanya, for a mini-retreat. This West Coast satsang has been growing in devotion for both the teacher and the teaching: beginning to appreciate, if not understand, surrender to the Guru as expressed in namaskār, pranams and touching Sadhviji’s feet. Our opportunity to have the grace of Guru Padapūjā during the past year celebrated this deepening śraddha. Thus it was that Sadhviji’s Memorial Day teaching was unfolded from Śrī Adi Śankarācharya’s song, the Guru Pādukā Stotram. During our time together, Sadhviji expounded upon the first two of the nine slokas in this ode to the sandals of Guru.

The importance of the Guru for self-understanding and the concomitant devotion to the teacher is deep within the tradition and is rooting in the hearts of the chelas in our community. There are many prayers of praise to Guru. We recognize that God and Guru are the same through the words, “gurur brahmā, gurur viṣṇuḥ, gurur devo maheśvaraḥ, gurhu sākṣāt paraṃ brahma, tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ”, (Guru is the creator, Brahma,

Guru is the preserver Viṣṇu Guru is the destroyer Śiva. Guru is directly the supreme spirit — I offer my salutations to this Guru).

Sadhviji began by telling us that a śloka is a praise song and spoke of the meaning of the suffix “tral” in stotra, and other words like śāstra,

and mantra. The suffix “tra” has the meaning to protect. Stotra is praise that protects. Śāstra is teaching that protects. Mantra is, as Sadhviji said, the protection gained by repeated contemplation upon the words.

The Guru Pādukā Stotram is a song of praise to the pādukā, the slippers, of the Guru. Sadhviji said many texts are attributed to Adi Śankarācharya, some inaccurately; but this text has the inimitable Adi Śankarācharya stamp all over it, a beautiful work of poetry, a work of art, absolutely flawless in its presentation, in its message. It is Śankarācharya’s praise to his Guru, Govindapāda.

Sadhviji points out that unfortunately, there exists a certain “guru allergy”, especially in India. These reservations, fears, uncertainties, and doubts all arise from unconscious authority issues. How does one know that Guru knows? Sadhviji told her story of asking this very question when first she heard of Pujya Swamiji. The answer to our question is simple. View the Guru as an altar of surrender, because the knowledge given by the Guru can never be gained by any effort on one’s own part. Limited karmas, cannot achieve the limitless, mokṣa. The limitless is already our nature, and it is a fact to be discovered, not another finite experience. The fruit of this śraddha is the clearing of the antaḥkaraṇa. Jñāna is the true siddhi, the sweetest phalam. The blossoming of the jijñāsutvam from the seed of mumukṣhutvam demonstrates the efficacy of the of Guru’s teachings.

We must know that Guru is needed for us to drop the ignorance. Since the one who seeks to know one’s self is confused, there is no possibility for that confused person to know the truth of him/herself without the teacher. Such a teacher, says the Muṇḍakopaniṣad, is one who is established in a sound lineage, through which lineage the Upaniṣads, the truth of non-duality, has been passed down without distortion from the first Guru, Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti, who is Īśvara in the form of the teacher. This teacher will also be Brahmaniṣṭa, committed to Brahman, having only the truth as the primary preoccupation. A teacher with this lakṣana is capable of presenting the Vedas as the sixth pramāna (means of knowledge), the only pramāna that can cleanse the ignorance. Guru is necessary, but why, Sadhviji asked us, a praise song to the slippers of the Guru?

23

After all, the slippers are left outside; they are unclean. One washes the hands after handling shoes. In India, shoes are used culturally as signs of insult. Her answer was that the chappals represent the ego we are to leave behind. In a deeper sense, the ego of Guru has already been left behind. More accurately, the I-ness of Guru is non-different from the I-ness of Īśvara. Guru no longer as though identifies with the body-mind-sense complex. The slippers are no longer identified as shoes. They have become the raft to which we cling in order to cross over the ocean of saṁsāra. We might say that the Gurupādukā represent the ocean of mercy.

Sadhviji continued saying, that as the feet are the foundation upon which we stand, Guru is the foundation upon which the teaching stands. What we do in evoking the sandals of the Guru is a conscious, deliberate super-imposition of the parampara upon the sandals, for the sake of converting them into an altar of surrender and prayer. By this upāsana, in seeing Īśvara, in the lowly objects -- the slippers -- we meditate upon the most exalted. Because everything is Īśvara and nothing is separate from Īśvara, we invoke Īśvara in the sandals of Guru. By a positive attitude that includes an unquestioning acceptance of the teacher, we transcend the material shoes and gain the teaching.

This all begins with our flailing, feverish discomfort, our sense of helplessness within saṁsāra. Although this helplessness is not real, only one who is as though afflicted is ready to seek mokṣa. The seeker of mokṣa, the mumukṣu, surrenders to the feet of Guru and in this surrender gains bhakti. It is not for the Guru that we sing praise to Gurupādukā; the Guru has no need for our surrender. We need to surrender to gain knowledge, to become a jijñāsu and to see beyond the

obvious. Taking refuge in the Guru changes our priorities and leads to vairāgya, dispassion toward the world of saṁsāra. We drop other preoccupations and distractions, and set our sights upon the vidyā.

In closing the teaching, Sadhviji gave us her translation of the first two verses of Gurupādukā. She told us that Guru’s sandals are as a boat to carry the seeker across the obvious ocean of saṁsāra. The Guru’s sandals are are a raincloud māla. Seeded by the mahāvākyas, rainclouds of knowledge pour cooling waters upon the seeker afflicted by the fires of saṁsāra. To the one who is a full moon that fully

illuminates the ocean of Vedantic knowledge, the one who dispenses devotion for those who propitiate, for those with bhakti, endowed with all groups of afflictions -- onto those pādukā, that pair of footwear, I offer my repeated prostrations.

anantha saṁsāra samudra tāra naukāyitābhyām guru bhaktidābhyām,

vairāgya sāmrājyadha pūjanābhyām, namo namaḥ śrī guru pādukābhyām

Salutations and salutations to the sandals of my Guru, which are like a boat, that help me cross the endless ocean of life.

Which endow me with the sense of devotion to my Guru, and by worship

of which I attain renunciation.

kavitva vārāśini sākarābhyām, daurbhāgya dāvāmbudamālikābhyām,dūrīkṛtānam ravipattatibhyām namo nama śrī guru pādukābhyām

Salutations and Salutations to the sandals of my Guru, which are the ocean of knowledge, resembling the full moon; which are the water, that puts out the fire of misfortunes, and which remove the distresses of those who prostrate before them.

24

Satsang with SadhvijiWhat do you mean when you say that only the sad become sad, and the angry angry?

The issue of emotions is an interesting one. Sorrow, anger, etc are all there, and one often succumbs to them. Emotions have an empirical existence in the everyday. But that are they absolute, in the sense of being unchanging, is something to look into and to think about. For example, if sorrow is absolute, then to be sad would be our nature. If sadness were one's nature, then sorrow are not acceptable to even people that are habitually angry. For instance, even people diagnosed with what is termed as chronic depression do not want to be depressed. Where is sorrow centered? Is it in the ātmā, the self? Sorrow cannot exist in the self that is of the nature of ananda, of limitless joy. So sorrow must originate in the I that is part of the non-self (anātmā). The non-self masquerading as the self is the cause of sorrow. We take our bodies to be the self, so we think that whatever is happening to the body is happening to me. That causes sorrow. This false identification is the problem and therefore we have what is called a sad person, an angry person etc. True, we are all able to access a variety of emotions, but there is one or two that we identify with a lot, and that is what is pointed to here. What Vedanta emphasizes is not the emotions, but the observer of the emotions. Who is the one who says " I feel angry today" "I feel upset now" etc? That entity who is able to track the changes in the body, mind and senses, must necessarily be changeless. For, if

it were also subject to change, it would not be able to track changes in time. That this entity is able to track changes in time means it is timeless. A statement such as "I am more impatient than I used to be" is an example for this. The person making this statement is observing him/herself at t1 (time 1) and then also at t2 and making a comparison. Therefore the person must not be subject to modification by t1 or t2. Likewise, the expression, "In Oregon, I have the SAD syndrome due to lack of sunlight. I do much better in California, where there is more sun," is a space-based observation. Here the person making the observation is observing him/herself with regard to his.her own emotions at s1 (space1) and s2. This means that the observer is not affected by either s1 or s2. The observer, the entity that is observing changes through time and space is ātmā is you. The second logical thing here is that the ātmā is not affected by the emotions it observes. Why? If it were affected, it would not be able to observe the emotions. Therefore when we closely observe emotions in our own psyche, we find that generally speaking, we have more propensity towards one emotion or the other.

25

Weekday  Evening  Classes

* Tuesday  and  Thursday:    9-­‐10  pm  Pañcadaśī  -­‐  selected  chapters

* Wednesday:  8-­‐9  pm    Bhagavad  Gītā  Chapter  7         9-­‐10  pm    Intermediate  Sanskrit

Travel  and  Public  Talk  Schedule

July 8th: Talks on Aṣṭanga Yoga, VHP Summer Retreat Program

July 9th: Speaker at the Conference on Religions and End of Life Decisions, George Washington University

July 23rd: Bhagavad Gita Class in Reston, VA.

September 2-5: Labor Day Retreat in Eugene, Or "Iśavasyam Idam Sarvam" Talks on the Iśopaniṣhad

September 9-11: Hindu Chaplaincy Course, Ārṣa Vidyā Gurukulam, Saylorsburg.

Sadhviji’s Teaching and Travel Schedule

Please Note All Times are Eastern TimeClasses marked with an * are also offered onlineTo access the online classroom go to www.arshavm.org, click on second button on the left hand side and sign in with your name as a guest.

Weekend  Classes  * First  Saturday  and  Sunday  each  month:  9  am-­‐12pm  Upadeśa  Saram  at  Śrī  Śiva  Viṣṇu  Temple.    For  more  details  please  contact  Charu  at  [email protected]  

* Second  and  Third  Saturday  each  month:        10-­‐11:15  am  Bhagavad  Gītā      11:30  am  -­‐  12:30  pm  Vedic  chanting  and  Bhagavad  Gītā  chanting

*  Second  and  Third  Sunday  each  month:      10-­‐11:15  am  Muṇḍakopaniṣad      11:30  am  -­‐  12:30  pm  Beginning  Sanskrit

Weekday  Daytime  Classes  

* Monday  and  Thursday  1:30-­‐2:30  pm:  Kaṭhopaniṣad  with  bhāśya

* Thursday  12:30-­‐1:30  pm:  Beginning  Sanskrit

Sūktā Editorial Board Julie Carpenter, Mayaskari Rothbart, Faith La Cross, Kanchan Deshpande and V. Viswanathan.

S 4 11 181927M 5 12 20 28T 6 13 21 29W 7 14 22 30T 1 8 15 232431F 2 9 16 25S 3 10 17 26

July

S 3 10 17 242531M 4 11 18 25T 5 12 19 26W 6 13 20 27T 7 14 21 28F 1 8 15 22 29S 2 9 16 23 30

August

S 7 14 21 28M 1 8 151622 29T 2 9 16 23 30W 3 10 17 24 31T 4 11 18 25F 5 12 19 26S 6 13 20 27

September